ChaiHyeon Nah/ Ch3

First draft

201101068 ChaiHyeon Nah

 

My Mentor

 

         In 1961, a boy was born in a small countryside called, Hea Nam, Jeon Rah Nam Do. He was the second son and the sixth child of the terribly poor family. His mother worked at the pub and his father played cards and lost almost all of their life savings. From the start, the boy looked at the world in a negative way. He would not dare dream to become a great person in the future. Instead, he chose to bully other kids in the school just like his older brother. One day, when he came home his mother gave him some money, the money she saved for her son's school fee. She was really proud of him and she believed strongly that he would become a great person in the future. This made the boy's feeling awful. He started to study just to make his mother truly happy. He succeeded in entering the private high school in the city called Mok Po, and he could also go to a good university in Seoul. He continued his study and got a chance to study abroad. He finished the Master's degree and the Doctor's degree in Akron University, USA for only in three years. The miserable boy became a professor now. He is my father.

         When I was asked to write about someone important to me, my father just popped in my mind. He had a harsh youth but managed to become a professor by great effort. But this is not the only reason I respect my father so much. The greatest thing about my father is that he overcame himself and became completely new person. When you see my father's photos, you will understand what I mean by this.

         In the photos of his 20s and 30s, my father looks like he has some worries. He is not smiling and his dark brown eyes are staring straight at the front. There exists some kind of strong will and a firm determination in his sparkling eyes. During this time, he tried really hard to finish his studies and to get a job in the Universities. His goals were high and his expectation toward me was high as well. My father was the hardest person to impress. I remember my father being really harsh with me when I was young. When I was a 3^rd grader in elementary school, I've received straight Soos (which means straight As in English) and became the class top. I told my father about this achievement proudly and he said,

         "You did really well, sweetheart. I am so proud of you, but this doesn't mean that you are the third grade's top. If you try a little bit more, I am sure that you'll make your grade's top next time".

         In the photos of his 40s, my father has gained some weights. He is smiling only with his mouth, but not with his eyes. His clothes are not too expensive but they are neatly ironed and clean. There are confidence and a little bit of pride in his face. In his 40s he became a proper professor in the University and everything worked well with him. This is the time my father started to read other books beside his major, and he began to go to church with my mother at weekends. He started a new hobby as well, singing. However, he still got mad easily if things don't turn out in the way he wanted it to be. He wanted me to go to the Seoul National University, my younger sister to become a doctor, and my younger brother to become a scientist just like him. If I say something like "Daddy, I think I like drawing. Maybe I can be an artist", he would answer me "After you enter the good University, you can do whatever you want as your hobby. You are not talented enough in art to become an artist so just study".

         However, when you see my father's photos now, you can see a big difference in his face. He is smiling in most of the photos and he looks like he is smiling in the rest of the photos because of the wrinkles next to his eyes make him look like he is smiling. He was a strong will person and always wanted everything to work in his way, but now he kind of let it go. When I failed him by not going to the good University, he was really sad and was disappointed at me that he wouldn't even talk to me for three months. He read a lot and went to the church praying and thinking. It must be a hard time for him as well as it was to me. One day, he called me and said he had something to say. I expected him shouting at me but instead he said,

         "ChaiHyeon, you've done well until now, and maybe I should trust you and give you a try this time. After all, the most important thing to me is your happiness."

         From that day on, my father began to change slowly. My mother always says that "Your father is becoming a human day after a day since our marriage". You wouldn't believe it if I say that my father doesn't get angry for an entire year now—it is true! He tries to think before he says something and that prevents him from getting mad at things. He reads a lot and now when he watches sad movies, he even wipes the tears out secretly! I remember him saying this,

         "I've changed a lot—I know that, and I love it. I smile more, and I say 'thank you' more, that makes me really happy."

         I know changing is very difficult thing to do, and I give my father all my respects and love for doing that. He is the true mentor of my life.